Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-09
THE SOLDIERS HOME.
"A Petition to be Presented TO the
City Council.

THE SOLDIERS HOME.
"A Petition to be Presented TO the
City Council.
The Board of Trade has asked the
City Council in the following letter
for site for the Branch Soldiers
Home:
Rooms Los ANGELES BOARD OF
TRADE, Los ANGELES, CAL,
August 6, 1881
To the Hon. the Mayor and Council of
the City Of Los angeles: a
GENTLEMEN-I am instructed by the
Directors of this Board to communi-
cate with your honorable body in re-
gard to the location of Branch Home
for disabled volunteer soldiers, at
some point in or adjacent to this city.
This Board has had the matter un
der consideration from the time copy
of the bill to establish this Branch
Home was received by us lin February
of 1880. and it appeared to our Board
then (and our further investigations
into the subject have confirmed the
opinions then formed), that the loca-
ton of the branch the Government is
to establish at some point west of the
Rocky Mountains should be in this
part of California, and, if possible, i'll
or close to this city.
This Board has therefore used its
best efforts to bring the attention of
the Board of Managers to the desira-
bility of selecting Los Angeles as the
site for the branch home, and have
succeeded to that extent that the COM
mittee of the Board of Managers that
leaves the East in September to inves-
tigate, select and report upon a site,
will come here to see what will be
offered them, either in this city or in
this vicinity.
The Board has not only had cores
pondence with the President of the
Board of Managers, General w. b.
Franklin, but have likewise cores
ponded with the Governors of the diff
ferent Branch Homes throughout the
country, from whom we have not only
received very elaborate replies, but
three have forwarded Photographic
views of the buildings and grounds
composing these homes.
(These views are on exhibition at
the rooms of the Board, Baker block,
and we would be pleased to have the
public inspect them.)
A summary of the correspondence |
received shows that the acreage at |
tached to the different Homes is as
follows:
Togus, Me- .................. lIOO
Leavenworth, Kan. ............ ....... GAO
Dayton, o. Observation-Disclosures. $50
Milwaukee, Wis s..................... 400
Hampton, Va....................... 1876
The Homes at Togus, Me-, and
Hampton, Va, were purchased by the
government: at Milwaukee, Wis, the
land was donated by the citizens of
that city, and the amount necessary
to purchase it, 800, 900, was raised by
means of affair at Leavenworth, Kas..
the land was purchased Ivy the city
for $4,000 and in ado ton, the
city also donated $4,000 in pay
ments of 5000 per annum, semi-an-
nually, without interest, for establish
ment of the grounds. At Dayton, the
citizens donated $4,000 to purchase
the site without water.
From the photographs in our pos
session, the appearances of the build
ings indicate that they are not only
erected for stability and comfort of
the inmates, but the exterior views
show thot they are very ornamental
and tasty.
The grounds surrounding them are
laid out and embellished in the most
beautiful manner; gravel walks and
roads, fountains, shrubbery, ETC.. in
fact they are beautiful parks, and are
always open to the public.
The number of inmates in each of
the Branch Homes, is as follows:
Togus, Maine ,:.........,..,,,,....,'. 1896
Leayenworth, Kansas. ...........s....-1 1887
Milwaukee, Wisconsin n-.........s....13 1850
Hampton, Virginia ........ ....s... 1879
You will observe from these figures
that each is small village by itself.
The expenditure at each for the fis
cal year ending June 80, 1886, were
Togus, Maine ............ .$19O, 599.0l
Leavenworth, Kansas. ....... 100, ,793.3s
iiif Milwaukee, wisconsin ......... I73,639. IS
Hampton, Virginia ............. 3O,s62.56
This showing would indicate that as
a financial proposition the location OF
q
tageous to our entire mercantile inter-
ests.
With these brief statements in re-
gard to this subject, this board would
respectfully suggest to your honorable
body that you take into consideration
the propriety of making an offer to the
committee that will be here in Sep
tember of that tract of city land set
aside by the Council for park purposes
known as the Elysian Park tract, and
containing 500 acres, more or less.
We are confident, if within your power
to do so, your action will be approved
by the citizens Of our city and heartily
commended by everyone, for the fol-
lowing reasons:
First-It will, if your offer should
be accepted, result in making these
500 acres magnificent and beautiful
resort for our people and great at
traction to our city.
Second-Over rs per cent, if not
nearly all the moneys expended in
erecting buildings, ETC., would be spent
right here.
Third-Over rs per cent, if not near
ly all the moneys spent for supplies,
ETC., ETC., would be distributed among
our mercha is.
Fourth-The pensions of the veter-
ans (Which is their own personal prop
erty) would be spent here for their
own personal uses, for the government
exercises no control over the pension
money, and the veterans are free to
spend it as they choose.
This Board, in bringing this subject
to your attention, does not intend to
convey the idea that with an offer of
the Elysian Park site provided your
honorable body should see fit to make
it, none others should be made; on
4 nnnnd doriroa and